


Cleanliness, next to...

by KaelsMiscellany



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cleaning, Multi, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-11 18:46:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaelsMiscellany/pseuds/KaelsMiscellany
Summary: He’s sure if there was a psychologist still alive in Haven they’d say something along the lines of ‘having control’ and ‘yadayadachildhood’. They’d probably be right, but he’s not about to go and find out.





	Cleanliness, next to...

Duke never really admits it, but he finds cleaning to be soothing. He’s sure if there was a psychologist still alive in Haven they’d say something along the lines of ‘having control’ and ‘yadayadachildhood’. They’d probably be right, but he’s not about to go and find out.

Nathan and Audrey have gone to help with the Haven cleanup, a venture he’d love to join in on as well. Except as he’s been reminded about half the town hates him more than usual, even with the fact that he _helped save the damn town_. In lieu of doing something marginally more important—tomorrow he’s going out with them come hell or high water—he decides to get his frustration out by cleaning the fuck out of Nathan’s house.

Rolling his sleeves up he heads to the kitchen. Humming off key to himself he starts with the dishes.

It’s easy to fall into the rhythm of cleaning, to just let his thoughts wash through him aimlessly while he scrubs. After washing and drying he starts putting them away, thrown off for a moment. He knows the order of Nathan things, but it’s now become the order of Nathan and _Audrey’s_ things. In the end he decides since he’s the one putting in the effort it’s going to be ordered _his_ way damnit.

Dishes done he unearths Nathan’s pinsol cleaner and gets to work on counters, the stove top, cabinet doors, anything and everything gets scrubbed within an inch of its life.

He move from one room to the next like a cleaning dervish. He strips towels, sheets, pillowcases, curtains, the piles of dirty clothes. Stops cleaning to fix Nathan’s damn washer. Starts running loads while he dusts. There’s a temptation to play one of Nathan’s records, but he’s not exactly in the mood for crooning or anything depressing.

Every upright surface cleaned within an inch of its life he gathers up all the rugs and the first load of laundry. The former he drapes over the side of the porch, the latter gets hung up on the line. Pulling the broom out of the closet he takes great satisfaction in beating the dust out of the rugs. Back and arms twinging slightly he heads back inside, leaving the back door open as he begins to sweep. Old fashioned yes, but satisfying in its own right. Perhaps a bit of superstition as well, recollection of his father—one of the few good times—saying brooms could sweep out bad luck. Right now everyone in Haven could use that.

After he sweeps he does haul out the ancient vacuum cleaner Nathan still insists works even though it's been on its last leg for at least a decade. It wheezes to life—Duke doesn’t care if he’s got to drive down to Bangor to get it, Nathan’s getting a new vacuum for his birthday—and Duke does the floors again. Making sure to get under all the furniture. He half wishes Audrey and Nathan were here to enjoy his acrobatics, maybe show off a little.

Halfway through, and with much grumbling, he has to switch out the bag. Then it’s done. He takes a laundry break before getting back to the house itself. For a moment he debates on whether or not to hide the vacuum in his truck, lie his ass off, and dump it later. It’s a very tempting thought.

In the end he doesn’t and gets to mopping. The smell of pinesol battling with the ocean air still coming in from the open back door.

His muscles are starting to protest by the time he finishes. With something like a grateful groan he falls onto the couch. Letting himself take a brief nap before finishing the laundry. Bringing the rugs in he lays them back down.

A smile tugs at his lips at the idea of having Audrey and Nathan put on clean suits so that they don’t get anything dirty. Would almost be worth it to hear Nathan grumble about how this was his damn house. Then again if the house never got dirty Duke wouldn’t have to to clean it again.

No matter how much he might want to he’s in no shape to cook, granted the food selection here is lacking so much it makes him want to cry a little. Makes him wish for the Gull or the _Rouge_ , places where everything hadn’t been packaged out the wazoo. He shouldn’t judge he knows, but with the only _non_ processed food item being coffee beans he does, a little.

Hopefully Audrey and Nathan bring something home, because Duke’s not going to be the first person to mess up the now perfect kitchen.

The clock in the front room tells him they should be home soon in fact. He falls back onto the couch again, he’s earned the right to be a bit boneless he thinks. Sure that Nathan and Audrey are in the same boat.

A few minutes later he hears the crunch of gravel and smiles. Even before they come inside he can hear them, their footsteps, the cadence of their conversation. The hefty click of the lock. “Duke,” Audrey calls out. “We brought...dinner.”

“Audrey why’d you stop?” Duke pulls himself upright enough to see that Audrey’s stopped in the doorway, Nathan behind her craning his head.

“I cleaned,” Duke says, almost defensively. “No need to gawk.” On the other hand their gawking sends a satisfied thrum through him. Their faces showing awe and appreciation for the work _he_ did, which he finds he could use right now. He does his best to shake that train of thought off however, no use wallowing on attitudes he can’t change.

The two of them finally enter the house all the way, door closed behind them. Duke feels another thrum of satisfaction when they take their shoes off. It turns into pure glee when Audrey shoves the bags of food into Nathan’s arms and after a bit of running slides across the wood floors. “Yep, nice and clean.”

Nathan huffs. Taking a more sedate pace to the kitchen to offload the bags.

Duke hauls himself onto his feet, giving and exaggerated groan as he does so. Audrey rolls her eyes but goes up to him, pulling him into a hug. “Need some rest old man?” She teases.

Narrowing his eyes at her Duke wraps one of his arms around her. “I see how it is.” He gives a haughty sniff. “I do all the hard work around here and don’t get any love at all.” His pout is as exaggerated as his groan.

Audrey gives a haughty sniff right back. “Well maybe if you weren’t so tall it would be much easier to shower you with the love and affection you deserve.” Her arms move from around his waist to grasp at his shoulder. He bends down just enough to make it easier for her to jump onto him. “Sometimes feel like those old pictures of loggers high up in trees. If I didn’t love you so much I would definitely be more resentful of that.” Again his arm settles around her, helping support her hips and wonderfully fine ass. “Muah,” she says with each kiss she lays on his cheek.

“Nathan! You’re girlfriend’s being silly again.” Duke loves every moment of it.

With a roll of his eyes Nathan stops in front of the both of them. “Why is she suddenly just my girlfriend when she’s being silly?”

“Because you’re both fucking ridiculous sometimes. That’s why.” Duke grins. Manages to keep it when Audrey starts nibbling on his neck.

Nathan leans in a little, expression growing serious. “Thank you.” Even now there’s a part of Duke that wants to make light, to deflect. Taking a deep breath Duke pushes it to the side. “Can’t remember the last time the house was so clean.” He leans in a little, taking up almost all of Duke’s field of vision. “What do you think Audrey? Do you think Duke deserves a reward of some sort?” Hot damn, maybe he should do deep cleans more often.

Audrey wiggles in that damn enticing way she has. “Damn straight I do. Let’s go mess up that nice clean bed.” She leans back towards the hall, as if that’d be enough to pull Duke with her. It sort of works in that he has to follow or risk her falling off him and onto the floor.

“Sounds like my kind of fun.” Duke flashes them both his roguish smile as they enter the bedroom. “Just hope you’ll both be able to keep up with me.” He waggles his eyebrows.

“I’ll show you keep up,” Nathan growls as he pushes Duke and Audrey onto the bed.

Yeah, Duke’s definitely taking over the household chores after this.


End file.
